Leaving Pennsylvania

I have to return the cable box on Friday. We pick up the U-Haul Saturday morning. Everything I own is in boxes. The cupboard contains a can of green beans and a box of pasta. It’s almost time to move.

I came to Pennsylvania in 1989. I like it here. The people are brash and honest and hard-working and loving. The history geek in me adores all the old stuff in the museums. My kids have grown up here and received excellent public school educations (thank you, teachers!) in the North Penn and Hatboro-Horsham school districts.

But my daughters have flown the nest (sigh). The nest is ready to move. Why?

1. The people here are nice, but there are too many of them. Google map Horsham, PA, where I live now. Then Google map Mexico, NY. See a difference? The population density in Montgomery County, PA is 1,553 people/square mile. The population density of Oswego County, NY is 128 people/square mile. I rest my case.

2. All those people mean stress and hassles. Traffic around Philly is an obscene nightmare and the drivers are getting more dangerous every year. (Longtime readers of this journal have heard me rant about people running red lights.) I hate, hate, hate, hate crazy drivers and wasting my time stuck in traffic.

3. I can only afford a small, dark apartment here. Everything is cheaper up North.

4. I have lots of family up there. (This is both good news and the bad news, depending on the day.)

5. I’ll be visiting Pennsylvania A LOT, so I’ll still enjoy the things I love. Stef and Mer go to college down here, and lots of schools have invited me to speak. So I’ll get my Wawa and cheesesteak fixes, I’ll get stuck in traffic, and at the end of my trips, I’ll be happy to head back to the country.

6. And last, but not least, the best reason to move is my Beloved Husband. We started dating three years ago and we knew it would be a long haul. Why? We lived 300 miles apart. We didn’t want to move any of our kids away from their friends or their other biological parents. We also didn’t want to abandon them while they were still in high school. So we’ve driven tens of thousands of miles and spent countless hours on the phone. (We got married last year – just couldn’t wait!) I don’t regret a second of it, because the kids have all benefited from our decision. But now that they are off to college, the wait is over. So, dear readers, I am moving for love.

81 Replies to “Leaving Pennsylvania”

Awwww…definitely the best reason to move. 🙂 good luck on your transition and move! It’s hard to leave beloved friends/family, things behind, but you’ll have memories and a chance to return for visits. 🙂

Awwww…definitely the best reason to move. 🙂 good luck on your transition and move! It’s hard to leave beloved friends/family, things behind, but you’ll have memories and a chance to return for visits. 🙂

Awwww…definitely the best reason to move. 🙂 good luck on your transition and move! It’s hard to leave beloved friends/family, things behind, but you’ll have memories and a chance to return for visits. 🙂

I love that picture of you and your husband. Love is the best reason to move :] I respect you and your husband deciding not to move until the kids left the “nest”. Ive never moved so I have no idea what its like. I imagine its exciting yet difficult. Leaving for something new yet leaving the things and people you love behind. You can always visit and enjoy the city as a “tourist”. Good luck with the move and let us know when you get settled in.

I love that picture of you and your husband. Love is the best reason to move :] I respect you and your husband deciding not to move until the kids left the “nest”. Ive never moved so I have no idea what its like. I imagine its exciting yet difficult. Leaving for something new yet leaving the things and people you love behind. You can always visit and enjoy the city as a “tourist”. Good luck with the move and let us know when you get settled in.

I love that picture of you and your husband. Love is the best reason to move :] I respect you and your husband deciding not to move until the kids left the “nest”. Ive never moved so I have no idea what its like. I imagine its exciting yet difficult. Leaving for something new yet leaving the things and people you love behind. You can always visit and enjoy the city as a “tourist”. Good luck with the move and let us know when you get settled in.

That sounds lovely! Another writer I love, Julia Alvarez (How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents, In the Time of the Butterflies) has an essay in her book Something to Declare about why she prefers to write in rural Vermont than in NYC or her home country of the Dominican Republic. Hopefully, it will be a peaceful, inspirational environment.

That sounds lovely! Another writer I love, Julia Alvarez (How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents, In the Time of the Butterflies) has an essay in her book Something to Declare about why she prefers to write in rural Vermont than in NYC or her home country of the Dominican Republic. Hopefully, it will be a peaceful, inspirational environment.

That sounds lovely! Another writer I love, Julia Alvarez (How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents, In the Time of the Butterflies) has an essay in her book Something to Declare about why she prefers to write in rural Vermont than in NYC or her home country of the Dominican Republic. Hopefully, it will be a peaceful, inspirational environment.

Wawa is a regional convenience store chain that is incredibly well-run and clean. They also have terrific coffee and most of them have a deli where you can get hoagies (aka subs) and other lunch-type foods. Definately the got-to-stop place around here.

one of the worst parts of going to college… is that the nearest wawa is about 3 hours away. have you seen the new milk shake machines? you definately have to before you move. you’ll have to have a sleep over sometime when all your ‘kids’ can come up and see you. love you! and i’ll miss you!

Wawa is a regional convenience store chain that is incredibly well-run and clean. They also have terrific coffee and most of them have a deli where you can get hoagies (aka subs) and other lunch-type foods. Definately the got-to-stop place around here.

Wawa is a regional convenience store chain that is incredibly well-run and clean. They also have terrific coffee and most of them have a deli where you can get hoagies (aka subs) and other lunch-type foods. Definately the got-to-stop place around here.

one of the worst parts of going to college… is that the nearest wawa is about 3 hours away. have you seen the new milk shake machines? you definately have to before you move. you’ll have to have a sleep over sometime when all your ‘kids’ can come up and see you. love you! and i’ll miss you!

one of the worst parts of going to college… is that the nearest wawa is about 3 hours away. have you seen the new milk shake machines? you definately have to before you move. you’ll have to have a sleep over sometime when all your ‘kids’ can come up and see you. love you! and i’ll miss you!

As a lifelong Oswego County resident, I wish you much happiness here. As much as I’m itching to get out of here (you know…the whole “I’m in my early 20’s and I want to go out into the world away from my parents to make a life for my independent self” -thing). But deep down inside, I adore this area. It’s quiet, beautiful and historic. Enjoy!

As a lifelong Oswego County resident, I wish you much happiness here. As much as I’m itching to get out of here (you know…the whole “I’m in my early 20’s and I want to go out into the world away from my parents to make a life for my independent self” -thing). But deep down inside, I adore this area. It’s quiet, beautiful and historic. Enjoy!

As a lifelong Oswego County resident, I wish you much happiness here. As much as I’m itching to get out of here (you know…the whole “I’m in my early 20’s and I want to go out into the world away from my parents to make a life for my independent self” -thing). But deep down inside, I adore this area. It’s quiet, beautiful and historic. Enjoy!

We’ll miss you here in Pennsylvania!! Philly is a great place. I love it here in Lancaster County (Lititz girl, born and bred). Wawa is indeed an awesome place. There’s nothing better than a fresh Philly cheesesteak (from Gino’s, of course) and some Philadelphia Water Ice (in anything but cherry). And Marching Band Competitions are the BEST thing ever. Warwick, of course, being the hottest of hot bands. Woot! (I don’t think we ever compete with any Philly-based schools, though. Mainly more northern teams)

But moving for love is the best reason. Here’s to you and Beloved Husband having many, many, many happy years to come (in the same state too, there’s a bonus!) Come back and visit often!

We’ll miss you here in Pennsylvania!! Philly is a great place. I love it here in Lancaster County (Lititz girl, born and bred). Wawa is indeed an awesome place. There’s nothing better than a fresh Philly cheesesteak (from Gino’s, of course) and some Philadelphia Water Ice (in anything but cherry). And Marching Band Competitions are the BEST thing ever. Warwick, of course, being the hottest of hot bands. Woot! (I don’t think we ever compete with any Philly-based schools, though. Mainly more northern teams)

But moving for love is the best reason. Here’s to you and Beloved Husband having many, many, many happy years to come (in the same state too, there’s a bonus!) Come back and visit often!

We’ll miss you here in Pennsylvania!! Philly is a great place. I love it here in Lancaster County (Lititz girl, born and bred). Wawa is indeed an awesome place. There’s nothing better than a fresh Philly cheesesteak (from Gino’s, of course) and some Philadelphia Water Ice (in anything but cherry). And Marching Band Competitions are the BEST thing ever. Warwick, of course, being the hottest of hot bands. Woot! (I don’t think we ever compete with any Philly-based schools, though. Mainly more northern teams)

But moving for love is the best reason. Here’s to you and Beloved Husband having many, many, many happy years to come (in the same state too, there’s a bonus!) Come back and visit often!